Cozy Comfort Food Without All the Calories
Comfort food is the perfect pick me up when you’re feeling down (or just feeling like you deserve a treat), but comfort food is rarely healthy food. These meals are commonly very high in calories and loaded with fats and carbs.
Since this is our Mental Health edition, we thought we’d share some delicious comfort food that doesn’t go overboard on the calories. By making some minor alterations, you can cut down on calories, fat, and carbs but still eat a hearty meal that’s perfect when you need a pick-me-up.
Here are three of our favorite low-calorie comfort food recipes.
Low Calorie Mac & Cheese
Adapted from The Clean Eating Couple.
Ingredients:
Macaroni:
- 1 lb macaroni pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¾ diced onion
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup skim milk
- ½ tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 1 cup fresh grated parmesan
- ¼ tsp fresh cracked pepper
Breadcrumb topping
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ fresh grated parmesan
- ¼ tsp dried basil
- ¼ tsp dried parsley
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp melted butter
Instructions
Begin by preheating your oven to 400F. Meanwhile, cook macaroni in boiling water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
Next, heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Cook onions until translucent (about 5 minutes) then add garlic and pepper and cook for another minute. With the pan still on the heat, gradually add in flour until you have a thick paste. Add in milk gradually while stirring constantly until you have a thick, creamy mixture. Add in cheddar and parmesan and stir until well integrated.
Next, toss the cooked macaroni with the cheese sauce you’ve just made and pour it evenly into a greased 8×8 baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix together breadcrumb ingredients and lay the mixture over top of the past. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until bread crumbs are golden brown. Allow to cool and enjoy.
Healthier Chicken Pot Pie
Adapted from Eat This, Not That.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
- 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup skim milk
- ½ cup half-and-half
- 1 ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted
- 2 egg whites
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Begin by heating the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the carrots and onions and cook until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Next, add the mushrooms and cook for another five minutes. Finally, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Next, stir in the chicken, then the flour, ensuring meat and vegetables are evenly coated. Warm chicken broth, then slowly pour it into the pan, whisking constantly to avoid clumping. Once incorporated, add milk and half-and-half and let simmer until the sauce has thickened and clings to veggies and meat, about 15 minutes. Stir in peas, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Next, preheat the oven to 375 F. Meanwhile, cut the puff pastry into quarters and roll out each piece on a floured surface to make 6” squares. Divide the chicken mixture between 4 ovenproof bowls and place a pastry square over top. Trim away excess dough and pinch the dough around the edges of the bowl. Lightly beat egg whites and brush them over top then bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.
Oven-‘Fried’ Chicken
Adapted from Erren’s Kitchen.
Ingredients:
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
- 2 cups skim milk
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp fresh grated parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Begin by preheating your oven to 400F. In a bowl, combine panko, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Once well mixed, transfer to a Ziploc bag.
Next, pour the milk into a separate bowl. Dip chicken in the milk, then transfer it to the bag of breadcrumb mix. Once the bag is full, seal and shake to coat the chicken, then transfer it to a greased 9×13 baking tray. Once all chicken is coated, transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 30-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let drain on paper towels, then enjoy.
